Previous studies have found a relationship between job-related stress and depressive symptoms in different occupational groups, and that personality may modify the risk of developing depressive symptoms. We aimed to examine the association of personality and other individual and work conditions with depressive symptoms.

A sample of 498 teachers answered a questionnaire concerning individual and work characteristics, some job-related perceptions, and the wish to change jobs. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D) and personality was measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-125).

Depressive symptoms were associated with female gender, age, low job satisfaction, high job stress, the wish to change jobs, working at a public school, and with higher scores on harm avoidance and novelty seeking and lower scores on self-directedness.

Our results underline the influence of personality traits on the development of depressive symptoms independently of other individual characteristics and the occupational context.

To test whether the association between childhood adversity and positive and negative psychotic experiences is due to genetic confounding.

Childhood adversity and psychotic experiences were assessed in an ongoing sample of 226 twins from the general population. A monozygotic (MZ) twin differences approach was used to assess possible genetic confounding.

In the whole sample, childhood adversity was significantly associated with positive (β = 45; SE = 0.16; P = 0.008) and negative psychotic experiences (β = 0.77; SE = 0.18; P < 0.01). Within-pair MZ twin differences in exposure to childhood adversity were significantly associated with differences in positive (β = 71; SE = 0.29; P = 0.016) and negative psychotic experiences (β = 98; SE = 0.38; P = 0.014) in a subsample of 85 MZ twin pairs.

Individuals exposed to childhood adversity are more likely to report psychotic experiences. Furthermore, our findings indicate that this association is not due to genetic confounding.

Many schizophrenia patients experience residual symptoms even after treatment. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is often used in medication-resistant schizophrenia patients when pharmacologic interventions have failed; however, the mechanism of action is unclear. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels are reduced in drug-naive, first-episode schizophrenia and are increased by antipsychotic treatment. We tested the hypothesis that ECT increases serum BDNF levels by measuring BDNF concentrations in schizophrenia patients before and after they received ECT.

A total of 160 patients with schizophrenia were examined. The ECT group (n = 80) was treated with antipsychotics and ECT (eight to 10 sessions administered every other day). The drug therapy group (n = 80) received only antipsychotic treatment. A control group (n = 77) was recruited that served as the baseline for comparison.

Baseline serum BDNF level in ECT group was lower than in controls (9.7 ± 2.1 vs. 12.4 ± 3.2 ng/ml; P < 0.001), but increased after ECT, such that there was no difference between the two groups (11.9 ± 3.3 vs. 12.4 ± 3.2 ng/ml; P = 0.362). There was no correlation between patients’ Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score and serum BDNF level before ECT; however, a negative correlation was observed after ECT (total: r = −0.692; P < 0.01). From baseline to remission after ECT, serum BDNF level increased (P < 0.001) and their PANSS score decreased (P < 0.001). Changes in BDNF level (2.21 ± 4.10 ng/ml) and PANSS score (28.69 ± 14.96) were positively correlated in the ECT group (r = 0.630; P < 0.01).

BDNF level was lower in schizophrenia patients relative to healthy controls before ECT and medication. BDNF level increased after ECT and medication, and its longitudinal change was associated with changes in patients’ psychotic symptoms. These results indicate that BDNF mediates the antipsychotic effects of ECT.

This study was performed to identify the predictive factors of functional capacity assessed by the Spanish University of California Performance Skills Assessment (Sp-UPSA) and real-world functioning assessed by the Spanish Personal and Social Performance scale (PSP) in outpatients with schizophrenia.

Naturalistic, 6-month follow-up, multicentre, validation study. Here, we report data on 139 patients with schizophrenia at their baseline visit. Assessment: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S), Sp-UPSA and PSP. Statistics: Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was used to determine the relationships between variables, and multivariable stepwise linear regression analyses to identify predictive variables of Sp-UPSA and PSP total scores.

Functional capacity: scores on the PSP and PANSS-GP entered first and second at P < 0.0001 and accounted for 21% of variance (R2 = 0.208, model df = 2, F = 15.724, P < 0.0001). Real-world functioning: scores on the CGI-S (B = −5.406), PANSS-N (B = −0.657) and Sp-UPSA (B = 0.230) entered first, second and third, and accounted for 51% of variance (model df = 3, F = 37.741, P < 0.0001).

In patients with schizophrenia, functional capacity and real-world functioning are two related but different constructs. Each one predicts the other along with other factors; general psychopathology for functional capacity, and severity of the illness and negative symptoms for real-world functioning. These findings have important clinical implications: (1) both types of functioning should be assessed in patients with schizophrenia and (2) strategies for improving them should be different.

Antidepressants are frequently prescribed in patients with psychotic disorders, but little is known about their effects in routine clinical practice. The objective was to investigate the prescribing patterns of antidepressants in relation to the course of depressive symptoms in patients with psychotic disorders.

A cohort of 214 Dutch patients with psychotic disorders received two assessments of somatic and psychiatric health, including a clinician-rated screening for depressive symptoms, as part of annual routine outcome monitoring.

Depressive symptoms were prevalent among 43% (93) of the patients. Antidepressants were prescribed for 40% (86) of the patients and the majority 83% (71) continued this therapy after one year. Multivariable analysis showed that patients with more severe psychopathology had a higher risk to develop depressive symptoms the following year (OR [95% CI]=0.953 [0.912–0.995]). For patients with depressive symptoms at baseline, polypharmacy was a potential risk factor to keep having depressive symptoms (OR [95% CI]=1.593 [1.123–2.261]). Antidepressant use was not an independent predictor in both analyses.

Routine outcome monitoring in patients with psychotic disorders revealed a high prevalence of depressive symptoms. Antidepressants were frequently prescribed and continued in routine clinical practice.

In recent years, several controlled studies could show that psychoeducational interventions have been effective for relapse prevention in bipolar disorders. We therefore established a cognitive-psychoeducational group intervention with 14 sessions providing information about the illness, early warning signs, cognitive and behavioural strategies for stress management and social rhythm. Additionally we offered a group intervention for the patients' relatives. The objective of this study was to describe the outcome associated with our psychoeducational intervention in bipolar patients and their relatives.

Sixty-two bipolar patients attended 14 sessions (à 90 min) of cognitive-psychoeducational group therapy. Patients' knowledge of bipolar disorder and their satisfaction with the treatment were assessed using self-developed questionnaires before and after the group intervention. Additionally, 49 relatives of bipolar patients received two psychoeducational workshops of 4 hours each. We assessed demographic variables, burden, high expressed emotion and depressive symptoms of the relatives before and after the two workshops and at 1-year follow-up.

Patients significantly improved their knowledge of bipolar disorder. They also have benefited from the discussions and the exchange of useful coping strategies. Burden and high expressed emotions showed no significant reductions at post-assessment, however they were significantly reduced at 1-year follow-up. Relatives also felt significantly better informed about the illness.

These findings show that psychoeducational interventions in bipolar patients and their relatives improve patients' and their relatives' knowledge of the illness and the burden of the disorder as well as high expressed emotions are reduced in relatives at 1-year follow-up.

Antipsychotic medications may reduce hostile and aggressive behavior in schizophrenia. This study compared the effectiveness of antipsychotics in the treatment of aggression.

The Intercontinental Schizophrenia Outpatient Health Outcomes (IC-SOHO) study compares the effectiveness of antipsychotic treatments in practice setting. Schizophrenia outpatients who initiated or changed to a new antipsychotic are followed in this non-interventional, prospective observational study for up to 3 years, with 6-months data now available on the entire cohort (N = 7655). The presence or absence of verbal or physical hostility/aggression was assessed retrospectively for the period of 6 months before enrollment, and prospectively in the period of 6 months after enrollment (the study treatment period). At baseline, patients in five monotherapy treatment groups (combined N = 3135) were prescribed one of the treatments: clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, or haloperidol, and had complete data.

Hostile/aggressive behavior was reduced during the treatment period. Olanzapine and risperidone were significantly superior to haloperidol and to clozapine in this respect. These results remained essentially unchanged when adjusting for baseline imbalances in age, gender, age of onset, and substance abuse.

As monotherapy, both olanzapine and risperidone were superior to haloperidol and clozapine in reducing aggression. The relative lack of effectiveness of clozapine may be specific to this study population.

Although antidepressant drugs have been proven as an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there are few comparative studies of antidepressants that are acting on different neurotransmitters. The main aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of different class of antidepressant drugs on the PTSD.

In this open label study, the patients who met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD were randomly assigned to flexible doses of fluoxetine, moclobemide, or tianeptine. After the first assessment, consecutive assessments were performed at the end of weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12 using clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS) and Clinical Global Impression of Severity (CGI-S). Changes in the total score of CAPS and sub-scale scores of symptom clusters (re-experience, avoidance, and hyperarousal) were the main output of efficacy. All statistics were based on intention-to-treat and last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) principles.

Thirty-eight patients were assigned to fluoxetine, 35 patients were assigned to moclobemide, and 30 patients were assigned to tianeptine group. Gender distributions and mean ages of the treatment groups were not significantly different. Drop-out rates due to an adverse events or unknown reasons were not significantly different among fluoxetine (18.4%), moclobemide (14.3%), and tianeptine (20.0%) groups. All three treatments has led to a significant improvement in PTSD severity assessed with CAPS total score (ANOVA P < 0.001). Similarly, total scores of re-experiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal clusters that are subscales of CAPS were significantly reduced by all three treatments (with ANOVA all P values < 0.001). There was not significant difference in terms of treatment effect between three groups.

Treatment groups showed very similar improvement on all ratings scales. The findings support that fluoxetine, moclobemide, and tianeptine are all effective in the treatment of PTSD. Different mechanisms of action for these antidepressant drugs might result in the same common neurochemical end point. However, further studies using different classes of antidepressant drugs are needed.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder with an uncertain aetiology. Recently, special attention has been given to homocysteine (Hcy), as it has been suggested that alterations in 1-carbon metabolism might be implicated in diverse psychiatric disorders. However, there is uncertainty regarding possible alterations in peripheral Hcy levels in BD.

This study comprises a meta-analysis comparing serum and plasma Hcy levels in persons with BD and healthy controls. We conducted a systematic search for all eligible English and non-English peer-reviewed articles.

Nine cross-sectional studies were included in the meta-analyses, providing data on 1547 participants. Random-effects meta-analysis showed that serum and plasma levels of Hcy were increased in subjects with BD in either mania or euthymia when compared to healthy controls, with a large effect size in the mania group (g = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.8–1.17, P < 0.001, n = 495) and a small effect in the euthymia group (g = 0.3, 95% CI: 0.11–0.48, P = 0.002, n = 1052).

Our meta-analysis provides evidence that Hcy levels are elevated in persons with BD during mania and euthymia. Peripheral Hcy could be considered as a potential biomarker in BD, both of trait (since it is increased in euthymia), and also of state (since its increase is more accentuated in mania). Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between bipolar disorder and Hcy, as well as the usefulness of peripheral Hcy as both a trait and state biomarker in BD.

Compulsive checking behaviors are common in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Several authors have suggested that these checking rituals could be related to memory deficits. Our aim was to test whether patients with OCD show working memory impairment in relation to their checking behavior.

We evaluated the verbal and visuospatial components of patients’ and controls’ working memory using the reading span and backward location span tests. Checking behaviors were measured by recording participants’ eye movements during an image comparison task using a non-invasive, infra-red TOBII 1750 eyetracker. Participants were seated, head-free, in a natural position in front of the eyetracker screen where the images were displayed.

Patients with OCD made more gaze moves to compare images than controls. Both patients’ working memory spans were reduced, and the patients’ deficit in the comparison task was negatively related to their working memory spans.

This work demonstrates that checking behavior in OCD is linked to a general reduction of the patients’ verbal and visuospatial working memory span.

In patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), about 22–50% experience auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH). However, the impact of these hallucinations on suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, crisis-service interventions, and hospital admissions is unknown.

In a cross-sectional design, data were collected with the Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) and the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus, as well as from the medical records of a convenience sample of outpatients fulfilling the DSM-IV criteria for BPD.

Of the 89 included patients, 27 experienced AVH. In the latter group, the presence of AVH was associated with a significantly higher incidence of suicidal plans and attempts in the month prior to study participation, more hospitalisations, and a shorter interval until hospitalisation. All subscales of the PSYRATS correlated positively with suicide plans, while the phenomenological and emotional subscales also correlated positively with suicide attempts. Moreover, higher scores on the emotional subscale were associated with more hospital admissions.

AVH experienced by patients with BPD might constitute a risk factor for suicide plans and attempts, and hospitalisation. This finding emphasises that this population requires adequate clinical attention, as well as effective treatment for AVH.

Adolescents in residential care are a high-risk population for psychiatric disorders. Due to limited access to outpatient treatment, crises often result in psychiatric hospitalizations. These crises are often accompanied by termination of supportive relationships, which increases the risk for further problems. To minimize hospitalizations and to stabilize the psychological state of these adolescents, we developed and evaluated a home-treatment intervention program based on psychiatric liaison-services and compared it to standard medical care (SMC).

The intervention was applied in 11 German residential group homes (N = 288, M = 14.1 years, SD = 2.7), while adolescents from 15 institutions (N = 336, M = 13.6 years, SD = 3.0) served as a comparison group (CG) (SMC). The frequency and duration of psychiatric inpatient treatment episodes were documented and caregiver-reported behavioural symptoms were assessed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months postintervention.

In both groups, less than 10% of the adolescents were admitted to psychiatric wards. Compared to SMC, hospitalizations were of shorter duration in the intervention group (IG) (1.30 vs 2.47 days per head within 12 months, p < .001). In both groups, behavioural problems decreased overtime.

Applying a home-treatment intervention program to children in residential care helps to stabilize the developmental course of this high-risk population by shortening psychiatric inpatient treatment.